


The Case of Earth's Mightiest Heroes v. May Parker

by orphan_account



Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Angst, Anxiety, Avengers Feels, Depression, F/M, I'm Bad At Tagging, Panic Attacks, Parent Tony Stark, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Post-Avengers: Infinity War Part 1 (Movie), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Protective Tony Stark, Recovery, Tony Stark Acting as Peter Parker's Parental Figure, Tony Stark Has A Heart, Tony-centric
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-30
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-05-30 11:29:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 11,559
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15095804
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: It's been two weeks since half of all life was restored to the universe and no one but the Avengers seems to have any recollection of the alien invasion or Thanos' attack on earth. The world carriers on like nothing ever happened and everyone is fairing well.... Well, everyone except Earth's mightiest heroes....Or...The one where Tony, with the help of the rest of the team, tries to gain custody of Peter.





	1. The Call

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony gets a call from Pepper.

It's been two weeks since half of all life was restored to the universe, and no one but Earth's mightiest heroes seemed to have any recollection of the alien invasion. The world kept turning and everyone was fairing well with the exception of the Avengers, specifically Tony Stark. 

Tony was passed out on his work bench when Friday alerted him. "Boss, Ms Potts is calling. Should I tell her it's not a good time?" Tony woke up and pushed himself into a sitting position. Rubbing his eyes, he tried to shake some of the grogginess  
"No, it's ok go ahead and put her through", he responded after processing her question.

"Hey Pep, everything alright?" he chimed trying to hide the fact that he'd been asleep. He failed.  
"Tony, why does it sound like you just woke up? It's 4:00 in the afternoon", she asked.  
"I...took a nap." He lied. Tony hadn't gotten a full night's sleep since long before Thanos' attack. Now he doesn't dare sleep at night. The only rest he gets is the result of overworking himself and passing out from exhaustion.  
"Since when does Tony Stark take naps?" She saw right though him and he decided that it was time to tell the truth. "On purpose? Never." He replied. She audibly sighed. "Is there something going on? Do I need to come up there?" Pepper asked. "No. Really it's nothing, I'm just tired." He reassured. "Are you taking care of yourself? Have you been sleeping?" 

"Well... sorta, it's just..." he trailed off. "Tony." She scolded. "When's the last time you had a solid meal?"  
"I don't know. I've been busy. You know how hectic things can get around here."  
There was silence. He could almost feel her disapproval. "Friday, help me out here." Tony asked.  
"It's been five days", the AI replied. "I guess I just forgot", he added, regretfully.  
"She tracks your eating habits?" Pepper asked, not giving him time to respond. "Friday, how long has it been since Tony slept eight hours consecutively?" She inquired.  
"It's been exactly seven weeks, three days."  
"Traitor", Tony murmured

"Tony! Why didn't you tell me?" She demanded.  
"I was going to mention it, but you were busy and I didn't want you to worry. It's nothing I promise, I'm just working through some stuff right now. I won't let it get out of hand." He pleaded.  
"Good. It better not. I don't want another Mandarin situation."

He cringed at the mention of it.  
"It's not like that. Trust me". That much was true, this was worse, much worse.  
"...Ok." She seemed apprehensive, but somewhat satisfied, and that would have to be enough for now.  
"Just please talk to me, or at least someone on the team, if you need help. I'm here for you and I love you. You don't have to be alone in... whatever this is. Just promise me you'll do that".  
"I will Pep. And I love you too." There was a pause.  
"And I'm guessing that you're not just calling to check up on me." He stated.  
"... Actually no. It's about Peter."

This couldn't be good. Tony had reports from Karen that Peter's suit had been inactive, and he initially thought that he was just taking a break from being spiderman after all he'd been through, but now he was worried that something had happened to him.  
"Oh God" he breathed. He wished he had watched him more closely, been more careful with him. He regretted every move he made regarding the teenager. How could he put him in danger? He was just a child after all, and now he's in trouble or hurt or worse.  
His mind raced as fast as his heart. "What happened to him!? Is he ok?!?" The words couldn't come out fast enough to satisfy the billionaire, and neither could the answers.

"He's alright... I got a call from May Parker. She was very upset." Pepper explained. "Well, what did she say?" Tony demanded. "She told me that she'd no longer allow Peter to go out as spiderman. She doesn't think it's in Peter's best interest to continue his work with the Avengers either."  
"What? What would make her say that!?"  
"She said that he had some kind of episode." Pepper continued. "May thinks the stress of being spiderman made him have a breakdown. Apparently he couldn't focus at School, he wasn't sleeping, and one day he just snapped. He started rambling on about all sorts of bizarre things."

"Bizarre things like what?"  
"Something about space travel, and some character named Thanos-"  
She kept talking but Tony couldn't hear anything she was saying over the loud ringing in his ears. He squeezed his eyes shut and brought one shaking hand up to support himself on the work bench, and ran the other one through his hair. The ringing subsided.  
"-Tony, are you listening to me? I said he's been institutionalized." She repeated.

"May Parker did what!?" Tony asked, angrily.  
"She said he was hysterical, and she didn't want him hurting himself." Pepper explained.  
"Why didn't she call me first? I could have taken care of him. We've got to get him out of there!" He exclaimed.  
"Slow down. Maybe this is the best thing for him if that's the kind of state he was in"  
"No, this is the last thing he needs right now." He argued.

"Do you know something that I don't?" She asked.  
Tony thought long and hard before answering that one. "Look, you wouldn't believe me, but it's all true, everything Peter was talking about really happened"  
"Tony...." she started.  
He interrupted "like I said, you wouldn't believe me. You weren't there. Anyway, this isn't a conversation I want to have over the phone. Just trust me. We have to get him out of there"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Omg I'm so sorry I didn't mean to post this yet. My connection was really bad and I accidentally clicked off the tab and assumed the work was gone forever. I will be working on this and updating frequently. I apologize again for the confusion!  
> .  
> -update-  
> .  
> So this chapter is finished! I'll be adding a new one in a few days. Expect a new chapter soon


	2. The Visit

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony goes to visit Peter.

Early the next morning Happy drove Tony from the compound to the facility where Peter was being treated. The drive was long and quite, giving Tony time to think about the situation and how he was going to fix things.  
When they arrived they entered the building as quickly as possible, trying not to attract any attention. Tony wore his baseball cap and sunglasses. The last thing any of them needed was the press wondering what Tony Stark was doing there. They found a directory that led them to a help desk. Happy did all of the talking.

They were greeted by a woman with frizzy red hair standing at the counter typing on her computer. She started filling out some paper work "And your relation to the patient?" She asked, not looking up from her clipboard.  
Happy glanced over at Tony, who just shrugged his shoulders. "He worked very closely with us as an intern" he answered.  
"We only permit immediate family members for visitation at this time", the woman stated.  
Tony stepped forward and removed his sunglasses. "I think you could call us family-friends" 

"I'm sorry, but it's a direct violation of our policy to..." she looked up. "Tony Stark?..." She was in awe.  
"Maybe you could make an exception?" He flashed his million dollar smile.  
"...Right! Of course, I'm so sorry Mr. Tony, I mean Stark, I mean-", she blurted out. "You can call me Tony." He interrupted.  
"Tony. Got it! Sorry about that. I didn't realize-" the woman apologized. "No, thank you for being so helpful miss...."  
"Shannon, uh Shannon Harper"  
"Miss Harper, lovely name, would it be possible for my friend and I to go see Peter?"  
"Yes, of course! I'll take you back there myself!" Shannon agreed.

She lead them down several hallways, using her passkey to access a couple different doors. Tony didn't often have chances to take advantage of his celebrity status anymore, but he was thankful that it worked.  
"Alright this is Peter's room, visiting hours will be ending soon. Someone will come get you when they're up" Shannon announced.  
"Again, thank you so much" Tony said with a smile.  
"It's the least I could do, let me know if you need anything" she replied before disappearing down the hall.

They waited a few moments until she was completely out of sight.  
"I'll give you two some privacy. I'll be right outside if you need me", Happy said  
Tony nodded. He turned to face the door then turned the handle. He took a deep breath before stepping into the room. He knocked on the doorframe twice.  
"Hey Pete"

Peter was sitting on a bed on the other side of the room. He looked smaller than usual, and the bags under his eyes were a dead giveaway that he hadn't been sleeping. His posture was poor, as he held onto the side of the bed tightly. His head hung down and his shaggy hair covered part his face. Peter just seemed so broken.  
"Oh, Peter" the older man cried out with tears in his eyes. Peter lifted his head and looked over to where the sound was coming from.  
"Mr. Stark?", Peter nearly fell off the bed, scrambling to get to him. Tony took a few steps forward to meet him, and soon they were locked in each other's embrace.  
"I'm so sorry" he whispered repeatedly, cradling the boy's head, while holding onto him tightly with his other arm.  
Peter hugged him back so hard that it hurt. Tony didn't care if he couldn't breathe, there was no way he was letting go. He could feel Peter shaking and hot tears landed on his shoulders.  
"It's not your fault-" the boy said trying to comfort his mentor.  
"It is, I said... I said I wouldn't let anything happen to you after..." there was a lump in his throat, stopping him from getting the words out. "After...."  
Peter loosened his grip letting the man draw a deep breath, then rubbed small circles on his back, yet still clung onto him for dear life.  
"...And now you're here, and it's all my fault", he sobbed.  
They were both broken.

Peter lead the older man to the bed where they sat comforting each other. He still didn't dare let go of his mentor just yet, he wasn't fully convinced that he wouldn't fade away.  
"Shhh. Don't say that. This happened to us, not because of us", Peter added.  
"I know... I'm going to fix this. I'm going to get you out of here"  
He put an arm around Peter and kissed the top of his head. He let him lean his head on his shoulder.  
They had both calmed down significantly. The two of them sat like that for what seemed like hours.  
He felt Peter become heavy. He had fallen asleep on Tony's shoulder. He must have been exhausted.  
He hadn't been relaxed enough to sleep in weeks.

Shannon open the door, Happy right behind her. "I'm sorry, but visitation is ending, you can see him again later."  
Tony nodded then gently laid Peter down, then carefully picked up his legs and put them on the bed as well. He covered the sleeping boy with a blanket then stood up to leave. 

He put his disguise back on then followed Shannon out, thanking her one last time, then got back in the car with Happy. The entire ride back he was grateful that he was wearing sunglasses, so no one could see how much he had been crying.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry these chapters are so short. Look forward to seeing some longer ones in the future.


	3. The Proposal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce gives Tony some advice

He knew it wasn't going to be easy, but one way or another Tony was going to get Peter out.  
After returning to the compound he decided to call up May Parker. Maybe he could convince her that her nephew was telling the truth.  
It was a long shot, but it was worth a try.

Tony stood alone in the lab. "Friday, call May Parker"  
"Yes, boss", there were four rings before she picked up.  
"Hello?", she answered. "May, it's Tony-"  
"Why are you calling me!? Haven't you done enough?" She demanded.  
"I'm sorry, just please don't hang up!", he pleaded.  
"What do you want?" She asked.  
"It's about Peter. I don't think he should be in there. I went to see him today, and he's not doing so hot-"  
"No thanks to you", she cut him off. "How did you even get in? You're not on his visitors list"  
"Look that's not important. I just don't think this is the best thing for him..." he explained.

"Don't you try to tell me what's best for him! You weren't there when he came home from one of your 'missions' all cut up and bruised! You weren't there when he had sleepless nights, or when he started falling behind in school. You definitely weren't there when he freaked out and started hallucinating. He was making up stories about turning to dust, and alien invasions that never happened, and space travel." She stated, angrily.  
"May, I know all of that seems pretty far fetched but, hear me out. What if Peter was telling the truth?" He asked, trying to sound as innocent as possible.  
"You did this to him. I'm not letting you hurt him anymore.", she answered. The call ended.

He felt so helpless. No one who didn't live through the events of two weeks ago was ever going to believe him. "Dammit!!" He exclaimed, clearing everything off of the aluminum table in front of him, into the floor, in one swift motion. He stood back and glared at the mess he just made, with white hot rage flowing through him. He hated that feeling. He sat down on a nearby stool, heavily, covering his eyes with one hand, then bringing two fingers together to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I though being angry was my job", a voice declared. Tony opened his eyes. It was Bruce. Tony hadn't even heard him come in.  
"Bruce, how long have you been standing there?" Tony asked.  
"Long enough." He admitted.  
"So I guess you saw.." he gestured to the pile on the floor. Bruce nodded.  
"Is this about...." he trailed off, deciding that it wasn't a good idea to bring up Thanos.  
He shook his head "No, it's about Peter".

"What happened?", the scientist asked.  
"I messed up." He replied. "I shouldn't have brought him into this. I shouldn't have sent him back to live with May. I shouldn't have sent him back to school so soon.", he was talking too fast.  
"And now he's in there and there's nothing I can do. And he's not ok. And I can't get to him. And he's all alone and-" Bruce cut him off. "Whoa, slow down there. Let's back track a bit. Where is he?"  
"He's in a psych ward... May admitted him because she thought he was going crazy and making up things about...." this time Tony was the one who didn't bring it up. "But he's not crazy, I mean he's not doing great. I guess he's about like any of us are at this point. I just don't want him to be alone right now." Tony let out a long breath that he didn't know he was holding.

"So what's your plan?", asked Bruce.  
"I don't know what to do. I tried talking to May but she can't be reasoned with." He replied.  
"Do you know when he's supposed to be released?"  
"As far as I know, they haven't set a date yet"  
"Is he still a minor?" Bruce asked.  
"He is, so he has to be released to a legal parent or guardian, and seeing as how I'm neither of those things I can't get him out of there."  
Bruce thought about it for a minute before he spoke. "Do you love him?"  
"What?"  
"You took him under your wing, mentored him, fought along his side, then you saved him. You just want what's best for him."  
"Of course I do. Of course I just want him to be ok. I'll do whatever it takes " Tony declared.  
"Why don't you adopt him? You could claim that May Parker is unfit to be his guardian, and gain custody.", Bruce proposed.  
"It's not that easy, there's-"  
"Look you said so yourself. You'd do anything for him. Just try, and if it doesn't work out you're back at square one."  
It was an intriguing idea.

Tony learned back in his chair and folded his arms across his chest and thought about it. He was about to speak when Friday interrupted him.

"Boss, Ms. Romanov asked me to inform you that dinner is ready and she would like both you and Dr. Banner to attend."  
"Thanks Friday" Tony answered.  
Bruce started walking back towards the door. "Are you coming?" he asked.  
"I might stop by later, I've got a mess to clean up here" he turned his chair to face the pile, then back to Bruce.  
He knew it was an excuse. Tony had been strategically avoiding certain team members .  
"You will be missed" Bruce stated before leaving the lab.

Tony started picking up the miscellaneous items that laid scattered on the floor.  
He hadn't realized just how tired he was. Maybe he would give the whole sleeping thing a try after all, and leave the eating thing for tomorrow.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for bearing with me while I add to this work. This is my first one so I really appreciate your feedback!!! You can expect another chapter by the end of the week.


	4. The Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has a nightmare

*It was unbearably cold, the wind cut through him like knives. Tony stood at one end of a large block of ice, examining his damaged suit. The cold seeped in through the cracks of his armor.  
Violent crashing waves surrounded the tiny island, and through the ice below him he couldn't see anything but black nothingness.*

*A wave nearly toppled the ice block, making Tony fall onto his knees. He desperately tried to find something to hang onto, digging his nails into the ice. When the waves subsided he stood up again.  
He saw a figure standing across from him on the block. He couldn't make out it's features until It moved closer.  
Tony realized who it was.  
It was Steve Rogers.*

*"Steve?" Tony asked, trying to keep his balance. He had so many questions. What were they doing there? How did they get there? Where were they?  
Steve finally spoke "I'm sorry Tony, but he's my friend". He took his shield off of his back.  
"What are you doing?" Tony asked, preparing for a fight.  
Steve brought his shield down with such a force that the ice cracked.  
"Stop!" Tony shouted.  
He kept repeatedly bashing the ice.*

*It finally gave way. A massive crack opened up and the ice separated below Tony's feet. He fell through.  
He tried to tread water but the weight of his suit was making him sink.  
He sunk further and further into the cold dark space, thrashing, trying to get free from the heavy armor. The more he fought the deeper he sank, until there was no light and there was no air. He was dying.*

He woke up in a panic, tangled in his bedsheets. He was covered in sweat, and his chest was heaving.  
Tony was shivering from the cold.  
When he freed himself from the sheets he quickly sat up, and scooted himself against his headboard.  
He brought his knees to his chest and tried to breathe. He was surprised that the air was air and not water. 

He tried to ground himself, looking around at his surroundings. He came to the conclusion that he was in his bed, in his room, at the compound.  
The ringing in his ears was so loud it was hard to think, and his heart was beating so hard that he could feel it shaking his entire body.  
He forced air into his lungs. Even though it came in short gasps at first.  
He wasn't dying after all, and if he was at the compound that meant Friday was there. "Friday, lights" he choked out.  
The lights flip on. That was better.  
He laid his head back against the headboard, closed his eyes, and rested his elbows on his knees.  
'It will pass, it always passes' he thought to himself.

After a few minutes he was a lot calmer, and his breathing was at a much more normal pace. He had gotten pretty good at pulling himself out of panic attacks over the years.  
He pulled a blanket up to cover himself, because he was still shivering.  
Just then a figure phased through the wall. It was Vision. Tony visibly jumped.  
"Dude we've talked about this. You've got to start knocking."

"My apologies, Friday notified me that you were in distress, and suggested that I come to your aid." Vision explained.  
"Why you?" Tony asked.  
"It would appear that out of the Avengers that aren't still in Wakanda, I'm the only one who wasn't sleeping. Again, I'm terribly sorry. I didn't mean to frighten you."  
"It's ok, really. I'm fine. You can go back to whatever it was that you were doing."  
"Will you be going back to sleep?" Vision asked.  
"Not a chance." 

"Was it a nightmare?" Tony nodded  
"Thanos?" Asked Vision. Tony half winced then shook his head 'no'.  
"No, I was back in Siberia. Rogers was there..." he trailed off.  
"You're still dealing with the trauma, aren't you?" He asked.  
Tony pointed at his head "It's a mess up there", he chuckled.

"What happened in the dream?" Vision inquired.  
"I was standing on ice and Steve cracked it with his shield. I fell into the water below and I couldn't breathe. Then I woke up and I couldn't breathe." He shuddered.  
There was a pause while Tony regained his composure.  
"And this happens to you often?"  
"Only every time I sleep." He answered.  
"Is that why you haven't been coming to meetings, or meals? Because Captain Rogers is present?"  
"Maybe, I just don't know if I'm ready for all of that just yet." He added.

"When's the last time you ate? Since you're not going back to sleep, would you like to get something now? I could accompany you."  
"Are you asking me on a date?" Tony teased.  
"I was simply suggesting-" Tony cut him off  
"I know, I know buddy. Let's go." He laughed, causing Vision to smile.


	5. The Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets with his lawyer

Tony waited alone in the conference room. The Meeting was supposed to start 20 minutes ago but it seemed that his lawyer was running late. The longer he waited the more his urge to get up and pace around the room grew, but he settled for bouncing his leg instead.  
After what felt like years of waiting the door finally opened, and in walked a petite woman in her mid forties.

"Mr. Stark, I apologize for my tardiness. I was gathering details about your case and lost track of time." She explained, closing the door behind her.  
"It's a pleasure to finally meet you." She extended her hand to shake his.

He had a puzzled look on his face as he shook her hand. "I was expecting-"  
"A man?", she interrupted. "They thought it would be a good idea for a woman to represent you. Statistics show that women have higher success rates when dealing with custody cases. I think it has something to do with the belief that women are more nurturing and motherly by nature." She rambled.

"I was just going to say I was expecting one of my lawyers from Stark industries.", Tony explained. "and I'm sorry, but who is "they"?" He asked.  
"Oh, right. My apologies. I shouldn't have made an assumption. Allow me to introduce myself, My name is Linda Morris. I've been practicing law for going on 23 years now and I'm currently the head of the Avengers legal team."  
"The Avengers has a legal team?" He asked, surprised.

"Well most of us were originally from Shield but when that fell through director Fury assigned us to the Avengers. Who do you think has been cleaning up your messes all these years?"

"Why have I never met you until now?" He inquired.  
"Because desperate times call for desperate measures. We usually like to do things as quietly and discretely as possible, but given your unique case, we thought it would be best to step in because the outcome will directly impact the Avengers.  
We are also aware that someone as high profile as you doing something like this will make a lot of noise with the press. And if you wish to keep Mr. Parker's identity a secret, we believe our team will have a greater chance of doing that than your Stark Industries lawyers, because we are well aware of his current situation." She explained.

"You work under Nick Fury?" Tony asked, apprehensively.  
"That's correct.... Look I know you're skeptical, but given my knowledge of your and Peter's history, I truly believe that I'm your best shot at gaining custody. You're more than welcome to use one of your own lawers if you don't feel comfortable with me representing you." Linda stated.  
"No it's not that... If Fury trusts you then I trust you... I just want to know how much you know about peter and I." He folded his hands and placed them on the table in front of him.

"I know about spiderman." She started.  
Tony nodded. "I know about Germany and I know about the incident with the plane crash." She continued.  
"I've also been briefed on the most recent event... Now I'm not going to go into detail about it because I've been told it's a touchy subject, but I know that the reason that we're in this mess is because of the emotional fallout that resulted from... The event"

Tony felt his eyes tearing up and the ringing in his ears returning.  
"I know how difficult it would be for an individual approaching this case from the outside, to understand the complexities of the situation, which is exactly why having someone on the inside who knows and believes your story is going to make it easier to win."  
She continued to speak but not much of it was getting through to Tony. The ringing grew louder and louder.

"Mr. Stark? Are you with me?" he snapped back to reality.  
"Yeah, I'm in. You're the person for the job." He blinked several times trying to clear up his vision.  
"I'm glad you agree. Now I think we should start working on your case." She smiled.

"Now I have some bad news... If you're going to try to win this thing you're going to have to do everything legally, meaning you can't visit Peter anymore since all visitors have to be approved by his current guardian." She stated.  
"Ok, fine." He sighed.  
"Now your recent engagement to Ms. Potts will actually work in our favor, because typically adoption is easier for spouses. Although it would be best if you two could set a date. The wedding can be long after this is all said and done, we just want to have something solid to present in court."  
"I'll see what I can do." He stated.

"Great, now you're also going to need a few testimonies from trustworthy, non-family members, to vouch for your character." Linda added.  
"Not a problem, I'll just have Rhodey and Bruce speak on my behalf-"  
"Colonial Rhodes is a good first choice although it might be wise to pick someone else for your second. I'm sure that Dr. Banner would deliver an excellent testimony, but Seeing as how the court room is a high stress environment It would be unfortunate... If he were to-"  
"Hulk out?" Tony interrupted.  
"Right." She answered. "Maybe someone who is popular in the public eye."  
"Like King T'challa?" He asked.  
"Someone you've known for a few years would be best." She added.

There was a long silence until he finally realized who she'd been hinting at.  
"No, absolutely not." He spat.  
"Hear me out. He has a good reputation and the people love him. The board believes that his testimony will greatly increase your chances." She explained.

"You're not seriously suggesting that I ask Steve-" He shuddered at the mention of his name, but his feeling of unease was replaced by anger. "- Captain-fucking-America to tell a jury what a great guy I am." He was seething, and practically yelling. "He hates my guts, and if you haven't noticed, the feeling is mutual." He gritted his teeth.  
She gave him some time to cool off before speaking.  
"I think we're done for the day." She said getting up to leave. "I'm going to do my part to make sure we have the best chance of winning this case, I need you to do the same. At least think about it." She gathered her papers from the table. "Good day Mr. Stark."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ughh sorry it took so long to update. I was dealing with a lot of relationship stuff but I'm back at it! Thanks for sticking with me ^-^


	6. The Date

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony tells Pepper about the court case.

Tony stormed into his lab, heading strait for his work bench. He lifted the lid of his toolbox and removed the tray inside, uncovering a nearly full bottle of scotch underneath. It was his emergency stash.  
He figured that there was no use drinking out of a glass, and decided to drink strait from the bottle. He took a swig. It burned going down, and left an unpleasant taste in his mouth. He didn't care. He took another swig. This one no more pleasant than the last.

"Friday, call Pepper", he demanded. He was pacing wildly around the room, bottle in hand, occasionally taking a drink. His goal was to mellow himself out, or get drunk, whichever came first.  
The phone rang several times.  
"Tony?" She answered. "Is everything alright?" She asked.  
This is how they greeted each other these days. "Yeah, no. We need a date." He answered quickly.  
"Well I'm kind of booked up with meetings for the rest of the week but I suppose I could come up this weekend-"  
"-No not that kind of date. I mean a wedding date. It's for Peter's case. My lawyer thinks if we have a set date I'll look like a more reliable parent or whatever." He rambled.  
He was met with silence.  
"...Tony what's all this about?" She asked hesitantly.  
"Oh shit.. I didn't tell you. I swear I was going to tell you. I meant to, but you were so busy running the company and I was-" he was cut off.  
"Tony what are you talking about? What's Peter's case? Like a court case?" She interrupted.  
"Well yeah... I uhh... I'm suing May Parker for custody of Peter." He announced.  
"You're suing for custody of Peter, and you didn't think to ask me first!? Tony, this is big deal! You should have asked me. What were you thinking?" 

"I know. I'm sorry. I should have but I didn't. I really just wanted to get him out of that psych ward and I wasn't thinking about where you stood in all of this." He took another swig of the scotch.  
"I just haven't been thinking clearly. I've been so angry. Today I blew up on my lawyer. the other night I broke a bunch of shit in the lab. Now I feel like breaking my hand on a wall. I don't know what's wrong with me. I just haven't been myself lately", he explained.

"Tony, I'm coming up there. We can talk about all of this in person, just please don't do anything rash. Don't make anymore big decisions without me. Promise me you won't." She pleaded.  
"Ok Pep, I promise. Again I'm really sorry. It won't be like this from now on." He hoped that he could keep that promise.

After the call he capped the bottle then shoved it back in his tool box, and headed for his room with the entire thing. He didn't think anyone would suspect anything. He was always carrying around tools and fixing things.  
When he got back to his bedroom he took it out of the tool box knocked back as much as he could stomach. Eventually he did start feeling more relaxed. But that didn't last long.  
It all caught up to him because he was drinking too much, too fast on an empty stomach. The room was spinning, making him dizzy. He could no longer focus on anything. He could no longer stand, or walk without stumbling. And still he kept knocking it back.  
It didn't taste as bad now.  
It didn't hurt as much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's a short one! I'll be going back to school soon so I'll try to update on weekends.


	7. The Tub

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony has a nightmare again

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ***WARNING***  
> This chapter is very raw and somewhat gross.  
> Proceed with caution.
> 
> Seriously if you're uncomfortable skip this chapter.

*His surroundings felt electric. Like the kind of static that clings to the air when lightning is about to strike. There was a strange glow, an eerie orange tint to the atmosphere that seemed almost unnatural.  
Like it wasn't of the earth.  
It left Tony feeling uneasy because it reminded him of.  
Titan.  
He was back on Titan. He didn't know how it was possible but he was there. The landscape was exactly the same. The feeling of dread was exactly the same.*

*There was a storm coming. He could hear the roaring of thunder and see a great dark cloud on the horizon.  
He didn't want to be stuck in a storm with his broken armor because it was made of metal, and would attract lightning. He turned away from the cloud, desperately seeking shelter, when he saw someone standing a few feet away, facing the opposite direction. *

*From behind the person appeared to be Stephen Strange. Maybe he could help Tony get off that godforsaken planet.  
It took nearly all of his might to drag the dead weight of the suit towards the figure.  
Tony shouted over the roar of the storm in order to get his attention. "Strange! What's happening!?"  
He didn't turn around.*

*Tony went around him, so he could talk to him face to face. "Do you know what's going on!?" Tony shouted.  
Stephen didn't answer. He didn't pay any attention to the man standing directly in front of him.  
Tony could see past him that the storm was moving closer. It was unlike any storm he'd ever seen before. The clouds moved very fast and seemed to extend from the sky to the ground, replacing the faint orange glow with darkness. The closer the clouds got the louder the roar.*

*Finally Stephen noticed Tony's presence. He grabbed the shoulders of the shorter man and leaned in to tell him something.  
The roaring stopped for a moment as if to let the man speak.  
"We're in the end game now.", Strange whispered into Tony's ear then took a step back.  
Tony noticed something odd about his face. It seemed like it was cracked.  
When he looked closer he saw small flakes of his skin falling off.  
Tony was horrified because he knew exactly what was happening.  
Soon Stephen's entire body disintegrated and Tony was left holding his ash in his hands.*

*The roaring started again, this time it was louder than ever. The wind whipped through him, blowing the remains out of his hands.  
The cloud was less than a hundred yards away. There was no time to find shelter now.*

*The cloud got close enough that Tony realized that it wasn't a cloud at all.  
It was an avalanche of ash.  
He turned to run but it was too late. He was engulfed by it, crushed under the pressure, ash filling his nose and mouth. It was suffocating him.*

It was a good thing that he was already on the bathroom floor because the first thing he did when he woke up was vomit. Luckily he made it to the toilet in time.  
Although it wasn't the optimal time to be panicking because throwing up made it extremely difficult to breathe on top of the fact that he had already been hyperventilating.  
When he finally finished emptying the contents of his stomach he sat back against the bath tub.  
He tried to ground himself but he couldn't think strait because everything hurt.  
The lights were too bright. The ringing in his ears was too loud. His heart was beating too fast, sending blood rushing through his already pounding head. His nose and mouth stung from the acidity.  
His eyes watered as another wave of nausea hit him.  
He vomited again, and again, gasping in between.  
This was true agony. Something had to give. He couldn't bear it any longer.

He threw up a final time, but this time he could feel a cool hand on his forehead, holding his hair back. Another hand rubbed small, relaxing circles on his back. This was both comforting and alarming because he thought he was alone.  
"Who's there??" He asked between hiccuped breaths.  
"It's just me." A soft voice replied.  
"Vision?" He choked out, head still buried in the toilet, not convinced that he wasn't going to hurl again.  
"I'm here. Take your time. Just breathe." He soothed.

Tony grabbed a wad of toilet paper and made his best attempt to wipe his mouth and blow his nose before tossing it into the toilet and flushing it all away.  
He scooted back against the tub, covering his eyes with his hands in attempt to stop some of the light from penetrating his squinted eyes.  
"Friday dim the lights" Vision requested.  
Tony took some time to even out his breathing. Vision waited patiently.

"Thank you." Tony finally spoke.  
"Don't mention it." Vision replied. "Can I get you anything? A glass of water?" He added.  
"That would be great" Tony answered.  
Vision left the bathroom and returned a few minutes later with a large plastic cup full of water.  
"Drink slowly. Try to keep it down if you can. You're dehydrated." He handed him the cup.  
"Thanks." He sipped the water.

"Friday, what time is it?" Tony questioned.  
"It's 4:19 A.M." She answered.  
Tony winced. "Did she wake you?"  
"No, I was already awake when I got the alert.", Vision answered.  
"Guess I'm not the only one who can't sleep." Tony brought his hands up to massage his temples.  
"Was it Siberia again?", Vision asked.  
"No, I was back on.." he took a deep breath, and squeezed his eyes shut. "I was back on Titan this time."  
It pained Vision to see Tony like this, both physically and mentally in anguish. "How's your head?" Vision asked, concerned.  
"It hurts. Everything does." Tears started running down his face. "Everything always fucking hurts."  
"I wish I knew how to take your pain away" Vision stated, feeling guilty.

Tony stopped crying. "It's fine. I'll be alright."  
His stomach disagreed.  
He shuffled over to the toilet to throw up the water he just had. Then he cleaned his mouth and flushed, then sat back down against the tub again. "Fuck" he said quietly, not having the energy to get angry.  
Vision left and returned moments later with blankets and pillows.  
"Try to make yourself comfortable. I have a feeling we're in for a long night." He explained.  
Tony stared forward, with a numb expression, and his back against the tub, feeling his ribs expand against it's cold surface with each intake of breath.  
He finally grounded himself.


	8. The Solution

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vision has a plan.

Tony was jarred by the sound of curtains being pulled back but refused to open his eyes. He refused to accept that it was morning and he would be forced to face his problems, but more importantly his hangover. The sunlight invaded the room, pouring into the doorway of the bathroom. He squeezed his eyes shut to combat the brightness. His efforts did little to stop his pounding head. He was then greeted by the sound of someone standing over him pouring something into the bathtub.  
"Please tell me that's not a $200 bottle of scotch." He pleaded, halfheartedly.  
The pouring stopped.  
"It's not. It's an empty $200 bottle of scotch." A woman's voice replied. The empty bottle was tossed into the plastic bin next to him, not hard enough to break but hard enough to be loud and irritating to his headache.  
He knew who's voice it was, therefore he knew he was in trouble. He opened his eyes to find that his suspicion was correct.  
Natasha was washing her hands at the sink in front of him. He could see the disapproval in the way she moved. She dried her hands then turned to face the puddle of a man.

"Where'd you get it?" She demanded.  
"Secret stash." He replied.  
"Where?" She crossed her arms and tapped her foot intimidatingly.  
"Tool box." He answered, shortly.  
"Dammit Tony" she exclaimed leaving the bathroom only to return a few seconds later with a bottle of water and a pill bottle. She tossed them both at him witch he caught but fumbled with ungracefully because of the stiffness in his arms. His whole body was stiff.  
He unscrewed the cap of the pill bottle to find one single pill in the bottom.  
"Really Nat, one pill?" He questioned.  
"With your track record, be thankful I'm giving you anything at all." She snapped.  
He took the pill and washed it down with some water. The nausea was unbelievable. He pushed the heals of his palms into his eyes until it passed.  
"Why do you do this to yourself?" She asked condescendingly.  
"I really don't need this from you. The hangover is enough punishment-" he started.  
"Do you think this is a game?" She interrupted. "Do you actually think you can get by living like this?"  
"It's been..." he trailed off.  
"What? It's been hard so you think this is ok? News flash, it's been hard on everyone. You don't get to self destruct right now. It's not going to do Peter any good if you drink yourself to death." She explained.  
"How did you know abou-"  
"I'm a spy, remember" she added.  
"Assassin", he correct.  
"Look if you needed help you could have just asked." She sighed.

Tony starred at her shoes trying to come up with something to say.  
"I know it hasn't been easy but Peter needs you right now. Everyone agrees that getting him out is the best thing for him. The team is on your side on this, even Steve."  
Tony brought his knees up to his chest and buried his face in his arms. He felt pathetic. He was letting Peter down.  
"Why don't you just talk to him? Whatever happened, It's in the past." She coaxed.  
"I don't... I I can't" he was on the verge of tears. "I can't look at him" a tear escaped and rolled town his cheek.  
"When I close my eyes all I can see is him breaking my armor with that... that fucking shield." He squeezed his eyes, and shook his head, trying to rid himself of the image, aggravating his headache.  
Natasha sat down next to him against the bathtub. "It's been years. It's not like that anymore. He's not like that anymore."  
He wiped his eyes then glared at her.  
She was good at reading people so she didn't need to be so close to see the pain in his eyes.  
"If this goes to trial we'll be there. All of us. For Peter and for you. You won't be alone in this."  
His eyes swelled with tears. He knew he wouldn't be able to talk with the lump in his throat so he reached over and squeezed her hand as if to say "thank you".

She stood up and turned on the shower. "Come on, in you go" she gestured. He tried to stand on his own but his body protested. The stiffness of his muscles, and his pounding head weren't making things easy.  
Natasha helped him up.  
"I am not taking your clothes off." She smiled.  
He chuckled despite the pain.  
She went to close the door behind her.  
"Nat?" He asked. She turned around.  
"Thanks"  
"Don't mention it", she flashed a smile then left.  
Tony took a shower and brushed his teeth then laid down on his bed. He was tired and hurting but at least he was clean. He wanted to sleep. His head was killing him, but he knew he would be greeted with nightmares if he tried, so he settled for lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

A few minutes had passed and there was a knock on his door. He wasn't looking forward to talking to whoever it was.  
"It's unlocked" he stated.  
The door opened and in walked Vision who was followed by a woman that Tony recognized but had never had a conversation with one on one.  
It was Mantis, the girl who was part of the crew he was introduced to on Titan.  
"I hope you don't mind me coming in like this, and I know you're not feeling well, but I think we might have a solution for you" Vision explained.  
"I'm all ears" Tony sat up. Mantis stepped forward "You see, I have abilities. I can read people, their emotions. I can manipulate them too. I'm sure you remember from when we first met on-" she was cut off.  
"I'm certain he remembers." Vision chimed in.  
"..oh right sorry. Well I used to help my previous master when his mind was troubled. I was able to help him sleep." She explained.  
"And with your permission of course, we'd like to try the same technique on you." Vision added.  
Tony thought for a moment, toying with the idea of nightmare free sleep.  
"I'll stay with you. If anything happens I'll be here. You'll be safe." Vision reassured.  
"Ok." Tony answered weakly.  
"You'll try it?" Mantis asked.  
"What do I have to lose?" 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My apologies on the lack of chapters. It's been a little while. I haven't had time to update between school and work but I'm trying to get back into it! No promises on future chapters but since the holidays are coming up I'll probably have some time on my hands. Also R.I.P Stan Lee thank you for all the universes you've created for us. You will be missed dearly.


	9. The Petition

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony meets with his lawyer again.

Disoriented.  
What time was it? What day was it even?  
Tony woke up feeling confused. He had no idea how long he'd been asleep, but it was undoubtedly more than he'd had in months.  
He felt warm and well rested, a feeling he wasn't accustomed to. Waking up peacefully as opposed to the nightmare-fuelled panic he had gotten used to, was quite a luxury.  
He took a moment to soak in the feeling of sheer comfort because he wasn't sure when he would experience it again.  
He laid in bed for a while before he decided he was fully awake and ready to take on whatever was next. Tony sat up and scooted against the headboard. "Friday, what time is it?" "It's 8:23 A.M." , Friday replied.  
Tony was in disbelief that he'd managed to sleep through an entire day, and an entire hangover. "And the date?" He asked.  
"Monday the 24th", she replied.  
"Shit." Tony whispered to himself. Today was the day that he and his lawyer we're supposed to draw up the petition for Peter's case.  
He hopped out of bed and went over to the closet to find something to wear.

"Boss?" The A.I. Asked.  
"Yes?"  
"Miss Potts has arrived at the compound. I was instructed to inform you when you woke up."  
"When did she get here?" Tony questioned.  
"Happy drove her from the airport. She arrived around noon yesterday." She answered.  
"Why didn't anyone wake me up?"  
"It was decided that you should be allowed to wake up naturally, given that this is the first time using this method of sleep aid. Although an alarm was set to 2 hours prior to your meeting with Ms Morris, so you wouldn't miss it." Friday explained.  
"Well where is Pepper now?" He asked.  
"She is currently in the kitchen helping prepare breakfast. Should I alert her that you'll be attending?"  
"No, that's ok" he replied.  
"And Friday?"  
"Yes boss?" She replied.  
"Is she... I mean who..."  
"Captain Rodgers is not present." Friday answered.  
"Thanks"

Tony finished getting ready then made his way to the kitchen. There he spotted Pepper. She was setting the table, and when she looked up at Tony she nearly dropped the stack of plates she was holding. She rushed over to him and soon they were locked in each other's embrace. "I was so worried about you." She whispered.  
"I know Pep. I'm sorry for making you worry but I'm fine. I actually slept all night last night." She hugged him tighter. "Vinson caught me up to speed. Everything that happened, well maybe not every detail, but the jyst. I'm so sorry." She pulled him closer.  
"I'm so sorry" she repeated, kissing the top of his head. They stopped hugging but continued holding hands. "I wanted to tell you. I just didn't think-" he started. "Of course I would believe you." She interrupted.  
"I didn't know how." He explained.

Vision walked in holding two containers of spices. "I see the difference now, but they really should be more distinct with the labeling. They look exactly the same from a glance." Vinson stated, looking down at the spices. He walked over to the counter and picked up a plate and emptied it onto a nearby trashcan. It was french toast that had been made with paprika rather than cinnamon. Pepper chuckled and Tony let out a breathy snort before the two of them broke out into full blown laughter.  
Vinson turned around "I'm serious. This has got to be a common mistake" he noticed Tony standing there.  
"Mr Stark, you're awake. How did you sleep?" Vision asked.  
"Great actually I can't remember the last time I felt so well rested."  
"That's good news." Vision stated, starting a new batch of French toast. "Will you be joining us for breakfast?"  
"Oh no I can't stay long. I have a meeting with my lawyer soon."  
Just then Wanda walked into the room. "Tony, Pepper, what a nice surprise." She greeted, then strolled over to Vision and kissed him on the cheek.  
"Vis, we talked about this." She chuckled picking up the paprika. "I know, I know, but in my defence someone did leave them right next to each other on the rack."  
"I wonder who that could have been." She laughed, looking through the cabinet for another pan.  
"Do you need help with anything?" Pepper asked Wanda. "If you could grab the eggs out of the fridge that'd be great" wanda answered, still searching for a pan.  
Tony made his way over to the coffee maker, and started a pot of coffee.  
They all carried on with lighthearted banter while making breakfast and when the coffee was done brewing Tony poured himself a cup and started for his office, but was stopped by Pepper.  
"Where are you sneaking off to?" She interrogated.  
"I have some paperwork I need to get in order before my meeting." He excused.  
She disapproved. "Stay for breakfast. I know you haven't been eating well." She coaxed.  
"I'll take something with me?", Tony bargained. He didn't want to stick around because he knew that the rest of the team would be arriving soon, which meant there would be a possibility that he'd run into Steve, and he definitely didn't want to stick around for that.  
"How about this: as soon as my meeting is over I'll come find you and we can catch up over lunch." He begged.  
"Oh alright. Just please take some food with you. Preferably of the solid variety." She teased.  
"What? Coffee isn't food?" He played.  
Tony made a plate of eggs and wheat toast then headed to his office.

He ate and gathered his papers and when it was time he moved to the meeting room. Linda was already seated at the table, but stood up to shake his hand when he walked in. "Good morning Mr Stark." She greeted.  
"Morning Ms Morris" he shook her hand then sat at the table.  
"Let's get down to business shall we?" Linda asked.  
"I'm sure you're aware that to get this case in motion we have to present a petition with our allegations."  
"Yes, I'm aware." Tony answered.  
"Right. And in this case our allegation is that May Parker is an unfit legal guardian. Now for the state to classify her as unfit we have to prove that she has been either abusive, negligent, or unable to provide proper care. And to do so we're going to have to present solid evidence." She explained.  
Tony nodded.

"The legal team and I have discussed and we think it best if we called for a total reevaluation of Peter's psychological state. Regardless of the results we can use that to our advantage."  
"How so?", Tony inquired.  
"If he does well and they find that he is mentally stable we can argue that he has been wrongfully admitted. If he is found unstable, we can argue that his condition has been caused by or worsened by his wrongful admission." She explained.  
"Usually the waiting time after a petition is filed is 3-4 weeks-". Tony inhaled sharply.  
"-But" she continued "I think we can make an appeal to speed things along given the circumstances. Are you with me so far? Do you have any questions?" She asked.  
"Yeah, actually. If we do end up winning this thing. If everything goes our way, how long are we looking at here? How long until we can get him out of that facility?" He pressed.  
"It's hard to say. It all depends. Could be a few weeks, could be a few months. Obviously our goal is to release him as soon as possible, and our team is working extremely hard to make that happen." She straightened the stack of papers in front of her.

"Now in addition to the psych eval, we're going to need some of your records to show that you can provide proper care for Peter, financial status, home address, and profession. I imagine this could be tricky seeing as how you currently reside in the Avengers compound, and how you handed all of your duties at Stark Industries over to Ms Potts. The judge isn't going to want to hear that you're a professional superhero."  
Tony forced a half smile.  
"Once we have all that sorted we can work on your advantages. The stable environment created by the unity of yourself and Pepper Potts is something that May Parker is unable to provide. We can also argue that she struggles financially, thus creating an unfavorable environment for a child. Lastly your character testimonials." Tony froze. He had completely forgotten. He hadn't asked Rhodey yet. "You have spoken to Colonial Rhodes and Captain Rodgers, haven't you?" Linda asked.  
"I haven't gotten around to it but I will." He pleaded.  
"Just remember that it would be in Peter's best interest. I'm going to file the petition and make the appeal. When I have news I'll call you. In the meantime I need you to secure those testimonials."  
"Ok." He agreed. She stood up from the table and reached out to shake his hand.  
"Good day Mr Stark." She left the room.  
Tony sat in silence trying to come to terms with the fact that he was going to have to speak to Steve, who he hadn't talked to since Siberia.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. I'll do my best to update within the coming week.


	10. The Pride

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony faces his demons, and when I say demons I mean Steve Rogers.

Tony finds Pepper and they have lunch together. He asks her about Stark Industries and how things are going in the city. She tries not to bring up Thanos but her curiosity gets the best of her and she eventually asks for his side of the story. Tony explains as many details, that hadn't been previously mentioned by Vision, as he can stomach before shifting the conversation to the Peter's Case.  
"You know, I've given it some thought and I know I didn't seem too excited about adopting Peter when you initially sprung it on me, but I feel like this could be a good thing for the both of us. We could settle down somewhere, the three of us, and forget about all the war and the fighting and the company. We could just enjoy life for a while, while we look after him." She stated.  
"Yeah", he smiled. "I think he'd like that eventually. I don't know if he'd want to finish high School here and I'm sure he has plans for college."  
"Why don't we cross that bridge when we get to it and for now we can focus on the case." She intertwined her fingers in his.  
A moment passed before she spoke again. "September 20th"  
Tony figured he knew where this was going.  
"I've always imagined myself having a fall wedding but if we're getting married here we better do it before it snows, plus it's my grandmother's birthday." She added.  
"September of next year?" He asked.  
"Of course. That will give us enough time to plan and send out invites." She answered.  
He was relieved that she wasn't mad about the adoption or the wedding date. In fact she seemed to be looking forward to them.  
They finished eating and chatting then Pepper checked her emails and found out that she had an 8:00 AM meeting in Philadelphia the next day. She felt bad for having to leave but that's what she gets for being CEO of a multibillion dollar company.

"Tony, can I ask you something?"  
"Anything." He answered.  
"I want to be here with you. I know the company is your life's work and your father's life's work, and you handed it over to me because you trusted me but what if we find someone else we can trust? I can have someone from within the company step up and be my VP for a little while and when they're ready they can take over. Of course I would still be there making the big decisions and calling the shots. But it would be nice to lighten the load a little bit. I practically live at Stark Industries." She explained.  
"It's not my life's work. Really I mean, it's where I got my start but this" he gestured around him "this is what I was really meant to do. And you, you're more important to me than any of it. I want to be with you too. I'm sorry that I never asked if you wanted to slow down because I know how hard you worked to get where you are." He stood up from the the table and she did too.  
They wrapped their arms around each other and held on for a long time.  
"I love you Pepper Potts... soon to be Pepper Stark"  
They both laughed.  
"It doesn't sound right does it? She asked jokingly.  
"We'll work on that."

With Pepper gone he decided that he should work on the case. He needed to swallow his pride and finally talk to Steve, for Peter's sake. He wasn't looking forward to it at all, in fact he was dreading it considering the last real interaction they'd had was an all out war. After all they'd been though with Thanos and the snap, he figured that they could put aside their differences and work to free Peter. At least he hoped they could. 

"Friday, where is Rodgers?" Tony asked.  
"Captain Rodgers is currently on the second floor of C building. Should I let him know you're coming?" The A.I. asked.  
"No, that's alright." He replied.  
"Boss, I should let you know he's not alone." She hesitated. "He's with Bucky Barns."  
"Great. I can kill two demons with one stone." He murmured to himself. At least he still had his sense of humor.

He made his way through the halls over to the building that Steve was in, and reluctantly climbed the stairs to the second floor that was more like an open loft than another story. He almost turned back when he saw the two men sitting at a table on the other side of the spacious room, but he forced his legs to keep carrying him. He had to keep going. He had to do this for Peter.

They were both facing away from him, when Tony approached, looking out the impressively large window that expanded nearly the entire length of the wall. His stomach was in knots but he was trying extremely hard to keep his cool. He was almost completely across the floor when Bucky noticed him.  
"Stark?" Bucky asked, almost in disbelief that he was there. Steve was even more surprised.  
"Tony" Steve announced, shocked, as he jumped up out of his seat to greet him. He stood up with such force that he sent his chair flying backwards, hitting the concrete floor behind him, making a loud noise. He didn't know weather to hug him or shake his hand or what. He wasn't prepared, after years of dreaming of their reunion he didn't know how to react.  
The sudden movement startled Tony. He jumped back defensively. Memories of their previous quarrel rushing back.  
"Steve" Bucky pleaded, grabbing his friend's arm and harshly pulling him back. "Be gentle.", Bucky reminded.  
Tony's eyes darted between the two men. He tried reasoning with himself. He was safe. They obviously didn't want to hurt him.  
He took a step back, facing away from them to compose himself. He squeezed his eyes shut, and swallowed down the panic. Once the ringing in his ears subsided he faced them again.  
"Sorry about that. I know it's been a while, I should have expected..." Tony apologized.  
"No I'm sorry I shouldn't have scared you like that. It's just good to see you that's all. I'm glad you're here." Steve explained.

An almost deafening silence fell over the room. They both had so much to say to each other but they didn't know where to start.  
"Do you... Want to take a walk?" Tony finally broke the silence.  
Steve glanced over at Bucky, who nodded in approval, then out the window. It had started to snow. Steve hated the cold ever since he'd been frozen in ice, and Tony knew it, that's why he wanted to go outside. He didn't want Steve in his element. After all, there was still bad blood between them.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry I haven't updated! I've had finals and family affairs to take care of but I haven't forgotten about this fic. I promise. Thanks for being so patient!


	11. The Cold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony sort some things out

It was getting dark. The darker it got the colder the air felt, and Steve wasn't the only one who didn't like the cold. Ever since Siberia, Tony couldn't stand it. It always brought phantom pains from being hit repeatedly, broken and bruised bones that took months to heal completely especially across his chest where the shield had caved in his armor. Not only did the cold aggravate his physical scars, but his mental ones too.  
He felt rage rising up. He remembered how he felt watching the video footage of Barnes.  
He practiced clenching and unclenching his fists in his jacket pockets in an attempt to keep his anger at bay.

"So why now?" Steve asked innocently, as they started down the path that looped around the compound.  
"I figured now's as good a time as any, after everything that's happened." Tony replied.  
Steve saw through him. "Is that true?"  
Tony sighed "Ok, no. The truth is, I need your help." Tony confessed.  
"With what?" Steve asked.  
"My lawyer thinks.... That it's a good idea for you to testify on my behalf."  
"What? Why me?"  
"Because you're you, and the people will listen to you. You don't have to say anything that's not true, just maybe leave out anything that could be seen as less than desirable..."  
"So why do you need someone, me, to testify for you? Are you in some kind of trouble?" Steve asked.  
Tony stopped walking and turned to face him. "I know you know what this is about, everyone does."  
"Peter?" Steve guessed  
"Oh so you do know." Tony pointed out, almost condescendingly.  
"Yeah I know, I also know about the whole scotch fiasco you had the other night." Steve snapped harshly.  
"So you've been keeping tabs on me? What? Does Natasha tell you every detail of my life?" He snapped back.  
"No, it's not like that." He looked at the ground. "I just check in from time to time. In spite of it all I do still consider you my friend." Steve stated.  
"So you'll help me then?" Tony inquired.  
"Do you really think you're in any shape to be adopting a child?" Steve asked.  
"Work with me here, Rodgers. He isn't just some kid. He's seen what we've seen, he's been through what we've been through, and instead of getting the help that he needs, he's all alone. No one believes him and they're treating him like he's crazy. We nee-, I need to get him out, and make him safe. I'm the reason he's in this mess. I need to make things right... Will you help me or not?" He asked.  
Steve thought it over. Tony rolled his eyes and speed walked past him.

"So other than the case how have you been?" Steve inquired easily catching up to Tony.  
Tony couldn't contain his anger anymore.  
"Fan-fucking-tastic. How do you think?" He replied, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets.  
"Come on Tony, don't be like that" Steve commanded.  
"Why should it matter? You don't care. You didn't care in Germany, you didn't care in Siberia, don't act like you care now. Besides you already know. I'm sure Natasha keeps you posted." Tony ridiculed.  
"She does keep me posted. I know you're not sleeping, or eating, or talking to anyone-"  
"We are not having this conversation." Tony interrupted.  
"The only reason I still keep up with you is because I care." Steve explained.  
"Somebody get this guy a medal" Tony joked to himself.  
"I worry about you. I did care in Siberia, I was just... My judgement was clouded. And I cared about you when we fought Thanos. I thought that earth didn't stand a chance when you left-"  
"I get it you can stop" Tony added.  
"I cared after the snap. Even after I lost Bucky, and I didn't know weather you were alive or not. I cared when you were floating through space all alone."  
Steve had said too much.  
"Dammit Rodgers, you had to go there." Tony said, letting out a shaky breath. The ringing had returned there was no escaping it this time.  
He couldn't breathe. The air around him was like glass, was glass, it had to be. There was no way that normal air that that texture. It was cold and sharp, cutting his insides, shredding his lungs to pieces, killing him. Maybe it wasn't air at all. Maybe it was the cold dark vacuum of space. Maybe that's why it was killing him. He was dying again all alone in space.

Steve noticed him struggling. "Tony!?" He ran over to his friend.  
Tony's legs buckled. Steve helped him to the ground, making sure he didn't hit his head.  
"I'm so sorry! was it something I said?" Steve asked.  
None of what he was saying was getting through to Tony.  
He took off his jacket and wrapped it around the smaller man, who's breathing was much to fast for his liking. It had to be painful, with air that cold.  
"Can you hear me?" Steve asked. There was no reply.  
"I'm going to take that as a no."  
He sat down on the icy ground. "Alright come here." He pulled the shaking man into him, with Tony's back against his chest, wrapping his arms around him, trying to retain some warmth. Tony tried to fight him off but Steve wouldn't let go.  
"Now I need to get you inside but I'd rather you walk than me carry you. I don't want anyone getting the wrong idea." He spoke calmly and breathed evenly in hopes that Tony would follow his lead.  
"I know that it doesn't seem like it will make much of a difference but if you draw air through your nose instead of your mouth it won't sting as much. You nose is meant for warming and filtering" He didn't know if anything was getting through but he kept talking.  
"Anyway what I was trying to say earlier was that, I was devastated when you left. You where... Are my friend and I do care about you. And I want what's best for you, and if adopting Peter is going to make your life better, even a little, I'll support you. I'm with you." Steve explained.

Tony was finally starting to calm down.  
Something he could smell: nothing it was too cold to smell, unless you count the cold as a smell. Ok something he could smell: the cold.  
Something he could hear: apart from the ringing, Steve blabbing about god knows what.  
Something he could feel: Steve Rodger's warm body. Ew.  
Tony pushed away from Steve, and faced him. Where did his jacket go? Why were they hugging? Oh. "Well that was embarrassing."  
He quickly started to take the taller man's jacket off.  
"You can wear it. I know, I hate the cold too" Steve explained. The two of them stood up.  
"You know this isn't exactly what I had imagined as our heart to heart." Tony joked.  
"You scared me there." Steve added.  
"Yeah well you scared me first. I'm not used to the whole... I'm not taking about it yet." Tony ran a hand through his hair. His body was still shaking.  
"I'm sorry. Did you hear anything I said?" Steve asked.  
"Not until the very end." Tony answered.  
"I said that I'd help you with the case. I'll testify for you."  
"Thank you, really it means a lot" Tony replied.  
They we're silent for a moment.  
"Are you alright to walk?" Steve asked.  
"I'm good. Let's go inside" he replied, shivering.  
The two men started walking back the way they came. Tony only stopped when he realized how dark it was.  
He looked up, and saw the last thing that he wanted to see right now.

One thing he could see: the stars.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I apologize for the lack of updates. I'll try to add a longer chapter soon.


End file.
